1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a tool for manufacturing jewelry and a method of using such tool. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a jewelry tool constructed in the form of hole punching pliers and related methods, which can be used to hole punch in a material without distorting the material.
2. Description of Related Art
Jewelers have long relied on a variety of tools to fabricate jewelry or the materials used in jewelry designs. Among the tools a jeweller or other craftsperson often employs is a tool for making or punching holes. While a number of tools exist for punching holes in soft materials, such as thin metals and the like, a common problem also consistently arises. Specifically, when holes are punched through such thin metals and other similar materials that are not flat, the material is typically distorted in the area of the punched hole.
For example, if a hole is desired in a corner or a curved surface of thin, soft metal, as the punch tip of the tool engages the material, the material is pressed against a receiving anvil. Then, as the punch tip begins pressing against and through the material, the material tends to buckle and distort close to the edges of the hole as the hole is formed. Conventional receiving anvils in punching tools are simply flat surfaces having a cut out or hole similarly shaped and sized to receive the punch tip forming the hole in the material. Even in hole punch tools that are handheld, such as a pair of pliers, one jaw typically has the punch tip, while the opposing jaw comprises a flat receiving anvil. However, as mentioned above, such conventional designs, even in handheld tools, still deform softer materials like thin metals as the hole is being punched through material that is not flat.
In view of the foregoing deficiencies of conventional approaches, the disclosed principles provide for a hole punch tool, such as a pair of pliers, as well as related methods of manufacturing and using such a hole punch tool, that do not suffer from the deficiencies of the prior art.